Massive Protest Held in Madrid

TEHRAN, June 19 (ICANA) – Spaniards have gathered outside the parliament in the capital Madrid to protest against the country's massive unemployment and tough austerity measures.

Sunday, June 19, 2011 11:21:06 PM

A week after the demonstrators dismantled their make-shift camps in Madrid's Puerta Del Sol square, tens of thousands of people swarmed the streets, protesting at what they called corrupt policies and the country's ailing economy, AFP reported.

"The banks and the governments that caused this situation must know that we do not agree with the measures and the budget cuts, that we intend to be heard," a statement released by a movement known as the "indignant" read on Sunday.

The movement also held rallies in the coastal cities of Barcelona and Valencia.

Spain's unemployment rate has surpassed 21 percent in the first quarter of the year, the highest rate recorded for joblessness in the industrialized world. Currently, some nine million people suffer from poverty in Spain.

Spain is struggling to recover from nearly two years of recession triggered in large part by the collapse of an overheated real estate sector.

The country has witnessed non-stop anti-government demonstrations since May 15.

Last month, Amnesty International warned in a document that hundreds of thousands of families in Spain are at the risk of losing their homes.